Ubisoft quietly announces Rayman and more games for Windows Phone

Ubisoft is a major force in the console and PC world, owning such powerful franchises as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and the Tom Clancy games. They’ve had a mild presence on Windows Phone so far, with two Gameloft published Xbox games: Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles and Splinter Cell: Conviction, the self-published Babel Rising 3D (a bad game on any platform but particularly abhorrent on Windows Phone), and a couple of companion apps for console titles.

Still, one terrible game is far from the best that Ubisoft can do for Windows Phone. They publish a fair share of quality mobile titles on other platforms that we have yet to see on our own. Blessedly, that appears to be changing quite soon. Ubisoft’s 2012-2013 Sales Report has quickly leaked three upcoming Windows Phone titles, which I think is cause for a little noise! Read on for our descriptions and predictions.

Monster Burner

All screenshots from iOS versions.

This one’s a challenging action/puzzle game in which hordes of monsters descend from the top of the screen. To keep them from reaching the bottom, you’ll need to tap the screen and send fireballs at the encroaching villains. Longer taps produce larger fireballs, but they also consume more of your precious mana. Running out leaves you vulnerable, so you’ll need to let it recharge between attacks.

Monster Burner possesses some of the best art you’ll find in a mobile game. It’s also quite challenging, though the iOS game offers a Kids Mode to ease the pressure. The game has a big focus on collecting gold to purchase powerups, which of course make things easier as well.

The iOS version of Monster Burner is a free-to-play game which is monetized through optional PDLC gold purchases. Microsoft has yet to truly open up to freemium games, as the only Windows Phone examples so far (Contract Killer and Gun Bros) both came out terribly, and Gunstringer: Dead Man Running on Windows 8 was designed as free but ended up costing money.

The existing game also offers a new level for free every single day, though those levels might be built-in as opposed to downloads. It will be interesting to see how much of the freemium design and daily level features make the cut on Windows Phone.

Rabbids Go Phone Again

This one’s more of a humorous app as opposed to an actual game, so I wouldn’t expect it to have Xbox features. The rabbit-like Rabbid characters debuted in Rayman: Raving Rabbids on Wii and have gone on to star in their own generally mediocre spin-off games.

Go Phone Again basically allows players to tease and dress up their own virtual Rabbid. The little critter has a fair assortment of moves to discover by poking at prodding at it in various ways. He reacts to turning the phone (by falling over) and even dances to the user’s music collection on iOS. The only goal is to find all the moves you can.

On iOS this one costs 99 cents and has two in-app purchases – we’ll see whether the same pricing system carries over to Windows Phone.

Rayman Jungle Run

Here’s the game to get the most excited about. Jungle Run is a platformer based on Ubisoft’s phenomenal Rayman Origins console game. It plays like an endless runner in that Rayman run automatically, so players only need to use a single finger to control his jumping and other moves. But the game is broken up into distinct level sets, with the goals of completing levels and collecting as many Lums (floating collectibles) as possible while doing so.

Rayman Origins is extremely beautiful, and the same applies to Jungle Run as well. I personally find its visuals more appealing than any existing Windows Phone game, even Skulls of the Shogun. The iOS game already touts such features as cloud saving and Achievements, so it would seem a perfect fit for Xbox Live.

The existing game costs $2.99 and offers a single 99 cent PDLC purchase of a second playable character, Globox. If it ends up costing more on Windows Phone, let’s hope Globox gets thrown in for the purchase price.

Ubi good news?

The price, OS requirement, and Xbox Live status of all three titles is currently up in the air. They actually do have a release window, though: February-March 2013. If Monster Burner and Rayman Jungle Run debut as Xbox games, I would be extremely surprised to see both of them make that window. We’re still waiting on games that were announced in early 2012, after all. But at least one of them could pop up before March ends… If the stars align correctly. We’ve asked Ubisoft for comment and will update should they respond with new information.

The only downer I found in Ubisoft’s Sales Report is a few mobile games that weren’t announced for Windows Phone – particularly Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, a standout puzzle-RPG on XBLA that’s now coming to iOS. But Windows Phone still holds a much smaller market share than iOS and Android, so we can’t expect Ubisoft’s full support without a little cash expenditure from Microsoft. Two fine games that could potentially arrive in the near future will surely please Windows Phone gamers while hopefully washing away the bad taste of Babel Rising 3D.

Are you implying that the Matrix distorts the reality and all those iPhones and Android phones seen all over the US and the world are only a virtual projection of the evil green robot and its ally, the Apple of Illusion? Lol

Actually, I hope not - they would effectively be eliminating roughly 50% of WP users. I hope they make their games for all versions of WP, and if the games aren't optimized for higher resolution screens, to later update the games for those devices.

Jungle Run is a day 1 buy. Already own the game on my Nexus 7. If it comes to Surface in addition I might begin to contemplate selling my google tablet. I've been hoping for this game since the very beginning. So happy! :-) Clash of Heroes would be great- no rush though because I still need to beat it on Xbox.

AWESOME NEWS! This is the best news all day. I love Rayman Origins, one of my favorite game of all time. I purchased jungle run on the ipad on release, my daughter loves her some rayman as well. We will be happy to buy this game!

What they need to do is take the top 20 non Xbox games on WP and have the goal to make at least half of them Xbox games. As well as bring the top 10 games from ios and android 5 each to be realistic and make them Xbox games. WP really needs to have an advantage over the others I think Xbox achievements goes a long way. This will fix the game's gap and if they get a good metro style version of instagram I don't see how WP can't double there market share for next Q4.

Hope ubisoft bring this games for WP8 ONLY so they will get updates more often like the iOS and Android version.
If they bring this games for WP8 & WP7.X that means that ubisoft must rewrite the games on C# and thats the main reason most of WP7.X games are totaly outdated!